Chapter 1163 - 1162: Heartache
Xiu Yan had already added wood to the fire twice, but the Firebird meat was just beginning to turn slightly golden.
"Brother Xiu Yan, stop holding it like that. Stick them around the fire pit and let them roast slowly. I’ll teach you how to read."
Originally determined to hold out until the Firebird meat was fully roasted, Xiu Yan finally shifted his gaze away from the two thighs and wings at the mention of literacy.
"Alright, alright, let’s go. We’ll write on the sandy ground nearby so we can keep an eye on the roasting meat at any time."
Xiu Yan had been sitting by the fire pit for nearly thirty minutes. In this kind of weather, sweat continuously dripped from his stern face, making Ji Nuan feel a pang of sympathy.
Understanding the little female’s concerns, Xiu Yan chuckled lightly, stuck the roasted meat at the edge of the fire pit, then took the cotton cloth she handed him and wiped the sweat off his face.
"Nuannuan, during this journey, have you thought about when you’d return?"
The orc’s voice was deep and, perhaps due to sitting by the fire pit for so long in the dry air, carried a slight raspiness rarely heard from him. It was so pleasant that even orc ears could fall in love.
Ji Nuan couldn’t help scratching her slightly tingling ears. "I haven’t really thought about it. Since we’re out here, I was thinking we’d just go with the flow. Whenever we feel like going back, we’ll head back."
Xiu Yan reached out to touch her head, but the texture under his fingers didn’t feel as smooth as it used to. Looking at her hair again, the little female’s strands had turned a bit frizzy.
The orc’s handsome brows furrowed. "It’s too dry here. Nuannuan’s hair has become a bit rough."
At his words, Ji Nuan reached for her own hair. After trekking through the desert for so long, she’d tied her hair up and wrapped it in a cotton cloth to keep out the sand.
Thinking about it now, she realized she hadn’t bathed at all since entering the desert.
She had originally intended to boil some water at the last oasis and enjoy a nice soak, but in the end, she’d hastily left to avoid being enveloped in droppings and bugs.
Looking back, she thought herself truly resilient.
She pouted pitifully at Xiu Yan, her lips jutting out enough to hang a small basket. "It’s been a really long time since I’ve had a bath."
The implication couldn’t have been clearer. On the first night at the oasis, Xiu Yan had waited until Tuya and the others had gone to sleep, then bathed in the lake.
It could only be said that orcs were truly resistant to cold. By that time, Ji Nuan had long since retreated to the warmth of her blankets and was deep in dreamland.
Xiu Yan chuckled softly. "I’ll boil water for you tonight."
Although this little tribe’s territory was remote, the lake in the oasis wasn’t far away. Xiu Yan planned to make several trips so his little companion could enjoy a proper bath.
The little female who usually adored soaking in baths hadn’t indulged in this luxury for quite some time now.
He glanced back at the large bathing tub strapped to the camel, feeling especially thankful for his wise decision to bring it along at the time.
The trees in the oasis were incredibly precious and couldn’t be cut down at will. Even if orcs wanted to make tools, they could only gather naturally fallen deadwood from the ground.
Everyone adhered strictly to this rule since this oasis had nurtured generations of their tribespeople.
At that moment, a rich aroma wafted toward Ji Nuan and Xiu Yan’s noses.
The two orcs exchanged a glance and then turned their heads in unison toward the roasting meat by the fire pit.